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Arnold’s Green Party

09 May 2012 |
Lea Brumfield

The environment is not a partisan issue.

In a call to his party, Arnold Schwarzenegger has published an op-ed criticizing the current rigidity of the many members of the Republican party, pointing particularly to environmental issues. Said Schwarzenegger:

It's time for the Republicans who are so bent on enforcing conformity to ask themselves a question: What would Ronald Reagan have done? He worked hard to maintain a welcoming, open and diverse Republican Party…

To succeed, Republicans need to embrace true Reaganism, and that means embracing the true Reagan, a brave and independent leader who believed in solutions and compromise.

As governor, Reagan was never afraid to buck his party. He raised taxes when he saw no other way to get California out of the red, and he created the California Environmental Protection Agency because, as strongly as he believed in eliminating unnecessary government regulation, he also saw wisdom in protecting our natural resources.

Schwarzenegger points out that protecting the health and safety of our citizens and preserving our nation’s natural resources was once a priority for great Republican presidents:

Teddy Roosevelt is still a hero among environmentalists for his conservationist policies. Dwight Eisenhower believed in the value of investing in infrastructure, and we can thank him for our highway system. Nixon, who originally attracted me to the party, nearly passed universal healthcare. He also created the national Environmental Protection Agency, which some modern Republicans want to close down.

In contrast, Mitt Romney, if elected, would be the first President in American history to reject the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change.